Birmingham, Alabama
CNN
—
[Breaking news update at 11:40 a.m. ET]
Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba, has admitted to killing the Alabama teen, a US federal judge said Wednesday.
“I have considered your confession to the brutal murder of Natalee Holloway,” Judge Anna Manasco said Wednesday after reading van der Sloot’s proffer.
“You have brutally murdered in separate incidents years apart two beautiful women,” the judge said, referring to a separate killing in Peru in 2010.
You have brutally murdered in separate incidents years apart two beautiful women who refused your sexual advances,” the judge said, referring to a separate killing in Peru in 2010.
[Previous story, published at 11:25 a.m. ET]
Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of extortion and wire fraud in connection with the Alabama teen’s remains.
Van der Sloot is accused of trying to sell information about the location of Holloway’s remains to her family in exchange for $250,000.
Holloway’s body has never been found. In 2012, an Alabama judge signed an order declaring her legally dead.
Van der Sloot had been arrested multiple times in connection with Holloway’s death. He was subsequently released by Aruban authorities who cited a lack of direct evidence.
But on Wednesday, Holloway’s mother lambasted van der Sloot in court after seeing his proffer, which she said included his admission to killing the teen.
“For 19 years you denied killing Natalee Holloway. Your lies have caused indiscernible pain. You have finally admitted that you murdered her,” Beth Holloway said in an emotional victim impact statement.
“You are a killer and I want you to remember that.”
CNN has not seen van der Sloot’s proffer.
Van der Sloot is serving a 28-year prison sentence in Peru for the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores. Peruvian officials allowed his temporary release to the US in June to face the extortion and wire fraud charges.
Almost two decades after Holloway vanished in Aruba, van der Sloot might soon reveal long-awaited details about how she died.
As a condition of a plea deal, van der Sloot is required to say how Holloway died and how her body was disposed of, Holloway family attorney John Q. Kelly told NBC’s “Today” show prior to Wednesday’s guilty pleas.
“There won’t be any further investigation or search … for Natalee’s remains,” Kelly said on “Today.”
Beth Holloway, Natalee’s mother, will hold a news conference after the hearing to share what van der Sloot told FBI authorities.
CNN has sought more information from Kelly and as well as comment from the US Justice Department and police in Aruba.
18 years of mystery and misery
Natalee Holloway was in the Caribbean nation on a high school graduation trip when she vanished in 2005.
The 18-year-old was last seen leaving a nightclub with van der Sloot and two other men, brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe.
The three men were arrested in 2005 but were released due to insufficient evidence.
They were rearrested and charged in 2007 for “involvement in the voluntary manslaughter of Natalee Holloway or causing serious bodily harm to Natalee Holloway, resulting in her death,” Aruban prosecutors said at the time.
But a few weeks later, an Aruban judge ordered van der Sloot’s release, citing a lack of direct evidence that Holloway died from a violent crime or that van der Sloot was involved in such a crime. The Kalpoe brothers were also released.
Attorneys for the men have maintained their innocence throughout the investigation.
Holloway’s body has never been found. In 2012, an Alabama judge signed an order declaring her legally dead.
While US officials don’t have jurisdiction over the criminal investigation in Aruba, a federal grand jury in Alabama indicted van der Sloot for an alleged plot to sell information about Holloway’s remains to her family in exchange for $250,000.
According to the indictment, van der Sloot’s scheme took place between March and May 2010. He was indicted in June 2010 on charges of extortion and wire fraud.
In the weeks between the alleged extortion and indictment, van der Sloot killed 21-year-old Stephany Flores at his hotel room in Peru on May 30, 2010.
Van der Sloot confessed to killing Flores and was sentenced to 28 years in a Peruvian prison.
But in June, van der Sloot was temporarily transferred to the US to face the extortion and fraud charges under an agreement between Peru and the US.
After his US legal proceedings play out, van der Sloot will return to Peru to finish his murder sentence in the Flores case.
He would then return to the US to start serving whatever sentence he might receive for the federal charges.
Elaine Hadley is a dedicated journalist covering the ever-evolving landscape of U.S. news. With a keen interest in politics and a commitment to uncovering the truth, she provides insightful commentary and in-depth analysis on domestic issues. When not reporting, Elaine enjoys exploring the diverse cultures and landscapes of the United States.
